


A Whole New World

by Jestana



Series: 30 Days of AU [8]
Category: Master and Commander - All Media Types, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-07-09
Packaged: 2017-12-18 05:00:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephen falls overboard and gets rescued by merman!Jack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Whole New World

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 30 day AU challenge. The challenge for this one was _Disney Movie/Fairy Tale_. The title comes from an **Aladdin** song. _Part of Your World_ didn't quite fit. No beta.

"Watch your step, Doctor," the merchant captain warned Stephen Maturin when he arrived on the deck after a particularly nasty storm. "It's still slippery."

Feeling marginally better for the fresh sea air after the stifling air below decks rife with the smell of sickness, the doctor slipped and slid across the deck to the railing. He could see very little at the moment through the drizzle that persisted despite the fact that the storm that had rocked the ship for the past few days had passed. Stephen dropped his gaze to the sea, pale eyes widening when he glimpsed a very large caudal fin flicking the surface. _How curious. I wander what that could have been. It certainly don't look like any species I've seen or read about._

He leaned over the railing, hoping for another glimpse of the creature. He was so absorbed in his efforts that he didn't hear the sailors shouting behind him: "Look out! Doctor!"

The next moment, something slammed into Stephen from behind and he toppled over the railing and into the water with a huge splash. He flailed his limbs for several moments, trying desperately to swim even though he didn't know how. Just as he sank beneath the waves and into blackness, he thought he felt a pair of arms encircle his waist.

When he came to, he found himself inside a huge bubble made of some transparent material, with an opening at the bottom where water lapped quietly. He stared in wonder at the sea life that swam placidly past his bubble. Though he could identify a good number of them, there were some species that he'd never seen or heard of. Stephen wished for his notebook so he could make sketches and notes about everything he saw.

A sound behind him distracted him and he turned to see a man's head and shoulders had emerged from the opening in the middle of the room. Long golden hair streamed down past the man's shoulders, which were broad and muscular and bare. Stephen bowed slightly to the stranger. "Greetings, Sir."

"Greetings," the stranger replied in an accent Stephen couldn't quite place, blue eyes wary. "Are you well?"

"This is amazing," Stephen replied, turning to gesture at the sea life surrounding his bubble. "There's so much sea life here to look at! I only wish I could write all of this down. Otherwise the other naturalists won't believe me when I tell them about all I've seen."

"You only wish to look?" the stranger asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, I confess I'd like the chance to dissect a specimen, but only one that's already dead." He sat down cross-legged near the opening so the stranger didn't have to keep tilting his head back to look at him. "That's what I do up on land."

"What do you mean by dissect?" The man looked puzzled now, his brow furrowed.

He gestured dismissively. "That's when you cut open a body and look at the insides."

The stranger seemed to recoil from Stephen then. "Cut open?"

"I assure you it doesn't hurt the creatures, since they're already dead." He hoped that would erase the horror on the man's face.

It didn't. The stranger shook his head. "You are an unusual person, Mr...?"

"Doctor, actually," Stephen corrected, shaking his head at himself. "Dr. Stephen Maturin."

"And I am Jack Aubrey, captain of King Triton's guards." The man told him.

He stared at Jack in surprise. "King Triton? As in the son of Poseidon?"

"You've heard of him?" The other man looked surprised.

Stephen nodded, wondering at Jack's reaction. "Most learned men study Greek mythology."

"It's no myth, I assure you." This time, Jack looked offended. "King Triton is quite real, as are the rest of our people."

He frowned, quite curious. "Your people?"

"Merpeople, of course." Jack planted his hands on either side of the opening and hoisted himself up onto the edge, revealing that the lower half of his body was shaped like a fish, made up of beautiful royal blue scales and ending in the caudal fin he'd spotted earlier.

He looked up at Jack with wide eyes. "I saw you earlier, when I was on the ship!"

"Yes, I got too close." Jack admitted, looking sheepish. "You weren't supposed to see me."

Stephen looked out from the bubble he was in, spotting more of the merpeople now that he knew what to look for. "I'm glad I did. This is really quite fascinating."


End file.
